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Emeralds: 8 Facts That You Might Surprise You

Emerald rings available in our DeWitt store.

Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May! This gorgeous green gemstone is a popular choice for jewelry for many good reasons: They’re fairly durable, easy to clean, and incredibly beautiful.

8 Facts About Emeralds That Might Surprise You

1. Emeralds are green in color, sometimes with hints of blue and yellow present.

You probably knew that emeralds are green, but did you know that sometimes you can see blue and yellow when looking at these stones? An emerald’s colors are determined by the presence and amount of the elements chromium, vanadium, and iron within the gemstone. Emeralds are green because of chromium and vanadium, and iron causes them to appear slightly blue.¹

2. This gemstone was first mined in Egypt.¹

For centuries, people around the world have admired the beauty of emeralds. In fact, Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra, was especially fond of this gemstone, as were many living in Egypt at the same time.³

3. Emeralds are now mined throughout the world.

This gemstone became popularized around the world, and has been discovered in several countries, including Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.¹^,2

4. Emeralds are a type of beryl mineral.¹

Beryl minerals are minerals that contain the elements beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. These minerals are actually colorless, however the presence of additional elements cause them to become colored.

Because of the different elements they contain, emeralds are a green beryl mineral. Another common beryl is March’s birthstone, aquamarine.

5. When looking at an emerald, it’s not uncommon to see inclusions.

Many emeralds have apparent inclusions, which are structural imperfections that occur when the emerald is forming. These inclusions appear to be dark spots on the gemstone’s surface.

Because many emeralds have visible inclusions, emeralds often undergo clarity treatments, like fracture filling, to improve the emerald’s clarity.¹

To learn more about fracture filling, please visit our blog post on diamond treatments.

6. Emeralds score a 7.5 to 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

This means that this gemstone is fairly durable and resistant to scratching. However, you can still scratch them, so make sure to be cautious with your emerald jewelry.

7. This gemstone is easy to clean, but heat can damage it.

We recommend cleaning your emerald jewelry by gently scrubbing these gemstones with a soft toothbrush and warm, soapy water. Don’t clean these stones with an ultrasonic cleaner and be sure to keep them out of heat, including hot water, as well as changes in air pressure, as these conditions can damage them. This gemstone often undergoes treatments to improve their appearance, including dying and fracture filling, which can also make it more prone to heat damage.